Recent years have seen a rapid proliferation in the use of cloud-based computing systems. For instance, it is now common for individuals and businesses to utilize remote servers for digital storage, web-hosting, or digital software deployment and support. Indeed, many conventional digital software systems install software products on client devices, but utilize remote servers for a variety of tasks in relation to the installed software products. For example, many conventional systems operate by downloading a software product on a client device and then utilizing remote servers to license the software product by generating, managing, and/or verifying licenses to activate the software product on the client device.
Although conventional licensing systems are able to provide software products to client devices, such conventional systems include a variety of problems. For example, conventional licensing systems are often complex and involve a variety of time consuming (and costly) steps and processes. For instance, many conventional digital licensing systems verify client devices, provide permissions to the client device, and undergo a variety of steps to obtain, decode, and utilize a license. For example, conventional digital licensing systems generate and maintain an active licensing server with complex encrypted licenses. Such licensing servers often determine the applicable licenses in response to a licensing activation call from a client device. In particular, conventional licensing servers may consult a database to fetch the applicable license and provide the to the client device to authorize access to the software product at the client device.
Not only are the foregoing steps complex, they also make it difficult to quickly and efficiently rollout software products. Indeed, in light of modifications required to the authenticating/licensing servers and databases it is difficult in conventional digital licensing systems to add or adjust software product and/or software product features. Accordingly, modifications and updates in conventional digital licensing systems lead to significant operational costs.
Furthermore, conventional digital licensing systems often require significant digital rights management (“DRM”) schemes to protect software products from piracy or other intellectual theft. For example, without DRM schemes, software pirates can access licenses provided to a client device and utilize the licenses to obtain unauthorized access to software products (e.g., unauthorized access on other client devices). Although conventional digital licensing systems include DRM techniques, software pirates have historically found ways to circumvent conventional digital licensing systems, resulting in unauthorized use of software products, market and brand dilution, decreased customer satisfaction, and lost revenue.
These and other problems exist with regard to current techniques for licensing software products.